Selective naught block mechanism for card operated machines



Dec. 26, 1950 H. P. MIXER 2,535,151

SELECTIVE NAUGHT BLOCK MECHANISM FOR CARD OPERATED MACHINES Filed Oct.14, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI ATTORNEY Dec. 26, 1950 H P MIXER2,535,151

SELECTIVE NA UGi-XT BLOCK MECHANISM FOR CARD OPERATED MACHINES FiledOct. 14, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAROLD P. MIXER AT-TORNEY Dec. 26, 1950Filed Oct. 14, 1948 H. P. MIXER SELECTIVE NAUGHT BLOCK MECHANISM FORCARD OPERATED MACHINES 3 Sh aets-She ee s l 2 34 9 0| 2 O 0 o I i 1MARCH -o n o} I 3 AUG. I i I FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH QUARTER QUARTERQUARTER QUARTER 1 'o o 1' i "j MAY c o 4- Q- 1 2 x 1 0 NOV. I

INVENTOR.

HAROLD R MIXER BY 4. L 41:4

ATTORNEY Patented 26,1950

SELECTIVE NAUGH'I BLOCK MECHANISM FOR CARD OPERATED MACHINES Harold P.Mixer, itookviile Centre, N. Y., assignor to Remington Band Inc NewYork, N. Y a

corporation of Delaware Application Oetober 14, ms, Serial No. sss'ss(Cl. lei-as) ZCIaims.

, i This invention relates to naught block mechanism for punched cardstatistical or accounting machines, and-more particularly to an improvedcontrol means for such mechanism.

The function of a naught block mechanism in a machine such, for example,as the tabuiator disclosed in the patent to John Mueller, 2,381,361, isto suppress printing and adding in selected columns at certainpredetermined times, which function it accomplishes by preventing theadvance of the type racks associated with those columns.

The control means for such naught block mechanism include devices topre-set said naught blocks active or inactive. and means controlled bythe presence of a special perforation in a card being processed by themachine to actuate said naught blocks. However, the control means usedheretofore have be..n found inadequate for certain of the complexapplications handled by these machines.

Such an application is one in which it is required that items entered ina certain field of the card be characterized by a control perforationrepresenting the month of its entry, and that said items be printed inone of four fields of a printed form according to whether itscharacterizing control perforation represents a month during the first,second, third, or fourth quarter of a year.

This results, of course, in that a difierent control perforation is usedto represent each of the twelve months of the year, and that the wiringunit of the machine must transmit the information from that one field ofthe card to all four fields of the printed form. Furthermore, the naughtblock mechanism must be such as to suppress printing in three fields ofthe paper under control of any one of nine control perforations, whileallowing printing in a fourth field.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide control means ofincreased capacity and versatility for naught block mechanism of thetype involved.

It is a further object of the invention to provide said control meanswith a plurality of devices manually settable so as to produce a varietyof results.

Another object of the invention is to construct said control means so asto permit the actuation of said naught block mechanism under control ofany of a variety of control perforations in a card.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front to rearvertical section of a machine embodying the mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear view showing the mechanism of the inventionwith the cooperating Fig. 3 is a detail view similar to a part of Fig. 1with certain movable pieces in operated position;

and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the transfer of informationfrom a plurality of record cards to a business form by the use of theinvention.

For clarity and brevity of description, the invention will be disclosedas applied to a naught block mechanism as used in a tabulator of thetype disclosed in the above cited patent to Mueller, it beingunderstood, of course, that the invention is not restricted to use withthat machine.

In that machine cards are gang sensed by a sensing mechanism situatedimmediately below the interchangeable wiring unit 25 (Fig. 1) with theresult that. when a perforation is detected in any index position, acorresponding push rod 28 in the lower part of said wiring unit iselevated, there being one of said push rods corresponding to eachperforation position of a card. The push rods 28, in turn, actuateBowden wires 21, which elevate plungers 28 at the other extremity of thewiring unit. The plungers 28 each elevate a permutation bar 30, allowingone of several stops Ii to advance and arrest the upward advance of atype rack;32 through the medium of a stepped block 33 on the rear edgethereof. There are a large number of type racks across the machine, andthey are restored to and held in the normal zero position by a restoringbar 29 acting on the upper edges of the blocks 33.

The push rods 26 and plungers 28 may be of any suitable sort, thoseshown being preferred because of their large capacity for cross wiringwithout recourse to Y-wires. The push rods 2 are provided with holes orwells to receive the ends of four Bowdens. Thus, data entered into onepush rod may be printed in four places across the paper without usingY-wires. The plungers 28 have wide lower ends adapted to receive threeBowdens, and in order to have their upper ends of the same spacing asthe permutation bars 30, each of said plungers is arranged diagonallywith respect to the push rods 28. Thus, information from three push rods28 can be printed in the same position on the paper at different times.

Below the lowermost stop ii in each position across the machine isanother step 24, not ef- 3 fected by the permutation bars 84, andadapted to cooperate with a step It. on the block 33. A't

mal zero position.

The means whereby the bell-cranks 84 are rocked counterclockwise is thenaught block mechanism and will now be described.

The framing of the wiring unit II at its upper end includes a rear crossframe bar it (Figs.

1, 2, and 3) to which, in whatever positions desired, are secured thenaught block units. Each naught block unit is supported by a sheet metalbracket 40 having a flange secured to the side bar ll by screws 4!.Pivoted at 42 to the bracket 40 is a short bar 43 having secured to itsupper edge a sheet metal plate 44, bent at its rear end as shown inFigs.- 1, 2, and 3. This bent portion of the plate 44 underlies therounded ends of the horizontal arms of a plurality of the bell-cranksIt, in the illustrated instance, to the number of four.

It is evident that if the bar 43 be rocked counterclockwise about itspivot, the type racks 3! controlled by the plate 44 will be restrainedfrom rising and nothing will be printed in those columns. Suchcounter-clockwise movement of the bar 43 is limited by the forward(leftward in Fig. 3) edge of the plate 44 coming into contact with theflange of bracket 40.

The means whereby the block 43 is rocked counter-clockwise will now bedescribed.

An upright link 45 underlying the plate 44 has in its upper end a slot48 engaged by a headed pin 41 in the bracket 40, and has near its lowerend a headed pin 48 held in the left hand end of a cam slot Iii in asliding member Si by left and right hand Fig. 2) springs 52 and 53. Themember II is guided for up and down movement by headed pins 54 and 65therein which engage forward and rear vertical slots in the bracket 4.(Fig. 3). The member ii is normally held in its lower position by aspring 56 which engages the pin 54. At its forward end the member II isprovided with an ear 51 acted upon by a plunger ll slidably mounted in ahousing 60 secured to an ear of the .bracket 40.

The construction is such that if the plunger ll be moved upward, itraises the member 5i and thereby the link 45. which rocks plate 44 andthe associated bell-cranks 36 to disable the type racks controlled bysaid bell-cranks. The parts are shown in their normal position in Fig. 1and in their operated position in Fig. 3.

In order to disable the mechanism just described so that the bell-cranks36 will not be rocked even though the plunger so is elevated, the lowerend of link 45 is formed into a finger piece Si by which the link 45 maybe drawn from its active position, shown in full lines in Fig. 3. to itsdisabled position, shown in dot and dash lines in that figure, the pin48 in said link sliding in the slot 50. Said slot is so formed that whenthe pin 4| is moved to the upper rearward end thereof, the upper end oflink 45 is lowered to such a degree that when the member ii is raised byplunger 58, said upper end does not rock plate 44 sufllciently toaii'ect the bell-cranks 38. When moved to its disabled position. thelink 4| is held there by the springs 82 and II.

Whereas only one unit has been described, any desired number of suchunits ma be secured to the frame bar 4|, two being shown in the'presentinstance.

Automatic means to disable the naught block mechanism are also provided.said means including a rock shaft 42 Journaled in brackets I9 suitablyfastened to the rear of wiring unit 25 at its ends. The shaft 42 may becompared to the shaft III of the cited Mueller patent and, like thatshaft. is connected with the total taking control mechanism of themachine whereby it may be rocked clockwise in Pig. 3 during eachtotaling operation of the machine.

When so rocked, an arm II on said shaft (Fig. 1) acting on a roller 44on the lower end of link 4| rocks the latter to a disabled position. Thepin 48 in said link does not, however, move all the way to the upperrear end of the slot 50 where it would be held by the springs 42 and II,but only far enough to disable the link, which is pulled back to activeposition by said springs when the pressure on roller 04 is relieved atthe end of the totaling operation.

There is, of course, an arm CI associated with each naught block unit,two such arms being shown in Fig. 2. I

The means provided by the invention to actuate the plunger ll to operatethe naught block unit will now be described.

Straddling each naught block unit is a control unit comprising left andright hand (Fig. 2) frame plates 6! and t4. loosely mounted on the shaft62 and rigidly connected together by a forward slotted plate 41 and arearward comb plate 48 (Figs. 1. 2, and 3). At its forward end thecontrol unit is supported by a block 10, an extension ll of the plate IIresting on said block in the normal position of the parts shown in Fig.1.

It is to be noted that in this normal position the upper edge of theslotted plate I! is in contact with the lower end of plunger ll. Thus,if the control unit is rocked clockwise the plunger In is elevated.

The block II is suitably spaced beneath and supported by a flange I2bent off from a frame plate II fastened to the bar 30. As will be seenin Fig. 2, the plate is is yoke shaped, the flange of frame plate 40being secured to bar 38 in the space between the arms thereof. Anchoredin the block III are the casings of a series of Bowdens 21, in thepresent instance to the number of twelve. one from each of the push rods26 in two columns. The columns used for this purpose are, of course.those corresponding to the columns of the record card set aside for thepurpose of control holes, which columns may be located anywhere on thecard. In register with the inner wire of each such Bowden 21 is aplunger 14 extending through holes in the flange l2 and spring urgeddownward against the block 10.

Between the side plates I and 66 are mounted a series of interponentsII, one for each of the plungers 14. At their forward ends said plungerspass through the slots in plate 41, and near their rearward ends aresupported and guided by the comb plate 4!. At their rearward ends theinterponents are formed into finger pieces 18, alternate linger piecesbeing bent upward for con venience of manipulation. Thus, in the presentinstance, as shown in Fig. 2. there are two tiers of six finger pieces18 extending rearward from each unit. Near its mid-point eachinterponent is provided with a retaining hump 11 held on the one side orthe other of a rod 18 secured in the side plates 68 and 68 by a springto.

In Fig. 1 the interponents are shown in disabled position with the hump11 positioned behind the rod 10, but in Fig. 3 the interponents areshown in active position with the hump forward of said rod.

When an interponent 15 is moved to active position, the forward endthereof is moved into the path of movement of the associated plunger 14.when that plunger is actuated by its Bowden 21 the entire control unitis rocked clockwise, the motion of the individual interponent 15 beingtransmitted to the rest of the unit through the plate 61, through a slotin which said interponent passes. Rocking the control unit actuates thenaught block unit through plate 61 and plunger ll, as describedhereinbefore.

It will be noted from the foregoing that if any one or more of theinterponents 15 in a unit is set active and the associated Bowden orBowdens 21 actuated, then the associated naughtblock mechanism will beoperated.

The described control mechanism can be set up to provide for a greatmany modes of operation of the machine, but, for brevity, only one suchset up, and the resultant mode of operation of the machine, will bedescribed.

The accounting problem to be solved by said mode of operation is sfollows:

When running a group of cards 'through the tabulator, it is desired thatinformation contained in a certain field of the card, and characterizedby a control hole representing the month of its entry, be printed in oneor the other of four fields of a printed form in accordance with whichof the four quarters of a year said month is a part. That is to say, itis desired that information characterized by the control holes for January, February, or March, be printed in one field of the form, andinformation characterized by the control" holes for April, May, andJune, be printed in a second field of the form, etc.

To this end, the push rods 26 in the field of the wiring unitcorresponding to that field of the card under discussion each coact withfour Bowdens 21, which at their upper ends actuate like plungers 28 infour different fields. Thus, information entered into this field of thepush rods 26 would be transmitted to four different fields of plungers28. However, in order that such information will be printed in but onefield of the form, each of said four fields is provided with a naughtblock unit, which units, as presently will be described, are actuatedselectively to prevent printing in but one field at a time. This isshown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 where information from card #1 is shownprinted in the first quarter field of the form, information from card #2in the second quarter field, etc.

The push rods 26 in those columns set aside for the control perforationsrepresenting the twelve months also coact each with four Bowdens 21,which, however, do not lead to the plungers 28, but to a plunger 14 ineach of the four control units. It will be remembered that there aretwelve plungers 14 in each unit, and each is actuated by one of the pushrods 26. Thus, there is a corresponding push rod 26 and plunger 14 foreach of the twelve control perforations, and when such a perforation issensed, the like plungers 14 in each of the four units are actuated.

In each control unit all of the interponents 15, except thosecooperating with the three plungers 14 representing the months of thatquarter year with which said unit is associated, are set active.

In the control unit associated with the type racks which print in thatfield of the paper set aside for the first quarter year, the, 4-12interponents 18 are set active, in the "second quarter control unit" the1-3 and 7-12 interponents 1! are set active, in the third quartercontrol unit" the 1-8 and 10-12 interponents are set active, and in thefourth quarter control unit" the 1-9 interponents are set active.

It will readily be perceived that when a control perforation is sensed,three of the control units will be actuated to prevent printing in theirassociated fields, but the fourth unit, which is associated with thequarter year of which the month represented by said perforation is a,part, is not actuated, and printing does occur in that field of theform.

Assuming'that card #1 (Fig. 4), which contains a control perforationrepresenting the month of March, has just been sensed, the operation isas follows:

The information contained in the card is transmitted to the permutationbars 30 in four different fields by the wires 21. Elevation of the pushrod 26, allied with the control perforation,

also actuates four Bowdens 21 which, at their 1 other ends, elevate theMarch or 3 plungers 14 in each of the four control units. In each unit,except the first quarter unit," elevating the 3" plunger 14 in turnelevates the plunger 58, through the active 3 interponent and the bar 61(see Fig. 3). The plunger 58 in turn elevates member 5|, link 4', andplate 44, the last of which rocks the associated bell-cranks 36 to lockdown the type racks 22. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, the saidinformation is not printed by the type racks associated with thesecond," third," and "fourth" quarter fields of the form.

In the "first quarter control unit the 3 interponent 15 is not setactive, so that the elevation of the allied "3" plunger 14 is withouteffect, and the type racks 32 associated with said unit rise and printsaid information as shown in Fig. 4.

The operation of printing information from cards containing controlholes representing months in the second," "third, and fourth quarters isthe same as just described, except that different naught block units areactuated in each case. In Fig. 4, card #2 contains a control hole forMay, card #3 a control hole for August, and card #4 a control hole forNovember; and the information from said cards is shown printed in thesecond," third, and "fourth quarter fields, respectively, of the form.

In the machine to which the invention is here shown applied, the typeracks 32 are used not only for printing, but also for actuatingaccumulators. This being so, the information printed by said racks isalso added into the accumulators; and when the machine executes atotaling operation to read out the total of the amounts registered insaid accumulators, it is desired that such totals be printed in all fourfields, regardless of whether the plungers 14 and 58 are elevated at thetime. It is to this end that the arms 63 are provided, said arms beingrocked during each totaling operation to disable all of the naught blockunits.

While there is above described but one embodiment of the invention, itis possible to produce still other embodiments without departure fromthe inventive concept above disclosed, and it is, therefore, desiredthat only such limitations mechanism and one or more advanceddiiterentially under control of said sensing mechanism, normallydisabled stops to prevent advance of said type racks, means including aiirst plunger to enable one or more of said stops, a sliding memberactuated by said plunger, a push link operated b said member and a platecooperating with one or more 01' said stops and actuated by said pushlink, a bar to actuate said first plunger, a series oi interponents eachmanually settable active or inactive to operate said bar, and a series01' second plungers each actuated under control oi said sensingmechanism to operate one oi said interponents. 2. In a machine oi' theclass described, the

oi a sensing mechanism, a removable wiring unit including a series ofrows of push rods actuated selectively by said sensing Bowdens actuatedbyeachotsaidpushrodsfl p racksadvancm mounted on said removable wiringunit a diflerentially under-control or certain Bowdenanormalldisabledstopsto vanceoisaid type rach, a plurality o! HAROLD nmxm.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,307,635 Mueller Jan. 5, 19432,323,816 Lester July 8. 1943 Aug. 7, 1945

